Bloomberg
U.S. Cases Hit 8-Month Low; U.K. Eases Alert Level: Virus Update
(Bloomberg) — The number of new cases in U.S. rose last week at the slowest pace since the pandemic began, as more Americans are vaccinated and the nation recovers from a winter spike fueled by holiday travel. The total number of new infections was the lowest since September.The U.K. lowered its alert level and confirmed plans to allow indoor mixing from May 17, while the Czech Republic opened all shops, museums and galleries.BioNTech SE raised its Covid-19 vaccine sales estimate for 2021 to 12.4 billion euros ($ 15.1 billion) as countries ramp up their inoculation campaigns. Earlier, the company selected Singapore as its Southeast Asia headquarters.India’s capital of New Delhi extended its lockdown for another week as it battled a wave of infections and warned about a potentially deadly fungal infection seen in Covid-19 patients.Key DevelopmentsGlobal Tracker: Cases reach 158.4 million; deaths exceed 3.29 millionVaccine Tracker: More than 1.29 billion doses have been givenCDC stirs concern by paring studies of post-vaccine casesUnused shots pile up as mistrust blights Hong Kong vaccine driveMumbai’s daily vaccine roulette offers dark humor in IndiaTokyo gives a taste of what Covid era Olympic games will be likeSubscribe to a daily update on the virus from Bloomberg’s Prognosis team here. Click CVID on the terminal for global data on cases and deaths.Illinois to Open Clinics in Office Buildings (11:27 a.m. NY)Illinois will begin offering vaccine clinics at major commercial office buildings, Governor J.B. Pritzker said. The clinics will reach workers in Chicago sites such as the Merchandise Mart and Wrigley Building as well as several suburban office buildings, with slots available during shift changes, Pritzker said during a press conference.“More vaccinations will mean more of a return to normal for everyone,” said Pritzker, who last week announced that his state is on track to reopen as soon as June 11.Chicago’s reopening, which is planned for July 4, also partly depends on vaccination rates, and the city is working to increase uptake in young Black residents as well as in communities including the South side, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said during the event.NYC Offers Free Tickets to Get Vaccinated (11:20 a.m. NY)New York City will give away free tickets to Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Cyclones baseball, botanical gardens and other venues as incentives to get a Covid-19 vaccine in a bid to increase protection in the most populous U.S. city.De Blasio said the city has administered more than 7 million shots but that the rate has dropped precipitously since April, when it doled out as many as 115,000 vaccinations in a single day. On Friday, fewer than 60,000 shots were distributed, and fewer than 16,000 were given to residents on Sunday, which was the Mothers Day holiday.Most Vaccinated Nation Sees Case Surge (10:45 a.m. NY)Seychelles, which has vaccinated the largest proportion of its population of any country against Covid-19, said active cases of the disease more than doubled in the week to May 7. The health ministry of the archipelago off Africa’s east coast said in a statement on Monday that 2,486 people currently have Covid-19 and of those, 37% have received two doses of vaccine. The number of active cases rose from 1,068 a week earlier. Of those in the country who have taken two doses, 57% were inoculated with Sinopharm shots and the rest with Covishield, a vaccine made in India under license from AstraZeneca Plc.U.S. New Cases Continue to Slow (10:15 a.m. NY)The number of new coronavirus cases in U.S. rose last week at the slowest pace since the pandemic began, as more Americans are vaccinated and the nation recovers from a winter spike fueled by holiday travel.There were 286,107 new infections in the week ended Sunday, a 0.9% increase from the prior week and the lowest total since the seven days ended Sept. 20, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg. The total on Sunday of 21,767 new cases was the lowest single-day tally since June 14, also a Sunday.Deaths, which typically lag behind new cases by several weeks, also rose at the slowest rate of the pandemic, 0.82%. The 4,709 new fatalities were the least since the week ended July 5.Spain Hopes for Immunity in 100 Days (9:38 a.m. NY)Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said during a visit to Greece that Spain was about 100 days from reaching herd immunity with 70% of the population vaccinated.That’s in line with a previous government prediction that immunity would be achieved at the end of August. Spain has so far administered about 19 million vaccine doses, with nearly 6 million people receiving two doses.Lockdown Easing in Austria Given Green Light (8:26 a.m. NY)Austria will reopen restaurants, hotels and allow sport and music events from May 19 as part of a planned easing of lockdown restrictions. Schools will also return to regular teaching next week after the nation registered 820 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the least since October.Attending social events will require a negative virus test, or proof of vaccination or immunity, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz told reporters on Monday. Family gatherings will still be limited to four adults and their children indoors, and 10 adults outdoors, until a further decline in infections.Gabon Gets 300,000 Sinopharm Doses (8:04 a.m. NY)The Central African nation got its second batch of Sinopharm shots on May 9 following a first shipment of 100,000 doses in March, the health ministry said. Gabon has relied largely on the Chinese-manufactured shot for its inoculation program. A total of 8,035 people were vaccinated by April 30, according to the health ministry.China ‘Quarantine Rope’ for Everest Summit (8 a.m. NY)China pledged to deploy a “quarantine rope” on the summit of Mount Everest to prevent the close contact of climbers on the world’s highest peak. The rope is a bid to prevent climbers who reach the summit from the Nepal and China approaches from spreading infection, according to Nyima Tsering, the head of the Tibet Sports Bureau.Bali Eyes Tourism After Vaccinations (7:45 am NY)The Indonesian island of Bali expects to have vaccinated 70% of its population against Covid-19, by July, potentially enough to achieve “herd immunity” and allow it to begin reopening to foreigners, said Governor Wayan Koster in a statement. The local government has secured enough doses to do so, with more than 1.3 million having received at least their first shots.Malaysia Tightens Curbs as Cases Rise (7:12 a.m.)Malaysia has tightened restrictions on movements across the country to contain a rise in infections, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said.The restrictions, in place from May 12 to June 7, mean that schools are to close, social gatherings are banned and no social visits are allowed during the coming Eid festival. Travel between districts and states will also be banned.U.K. Lowers Covid Alert Level (7:10 a.m. NY)Chief medical officers from around the U.K. agreed to lower the Covid-19 alert status from Level 4 to Level 3, citing falling case numbers and deaths after months of restrictions and a fast-paced vaccination effort.The move comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed that indoor mixing and overnight stays with friends or family would be allowed from May 17.Vaccine Demand Boosts BioNTech Forecast (7 a.m. NY)BioNTech raised its Covid-19 vaccine sales estimate to 12.4 billion euros ($ 15.1 billion) for this year, issuing a new target for the shot it sells with Pfizer Inc. BioNTech had previously predicted 9.8 billion euros in 2021 revenue from the shot, its first marketed product.Deadly Fungus Infection Found in India (6:57 p.m. HK)India’s health authorities warned about a fungal infection seen in some Covid-19 patients which can disfigure facial features and even kill.Mucormycosis, also called the “black fungus” infection, can damage the sinuses or lungs when the spores are inhaled, the Indian Council of Medical Research said in a health advisory issued Sunday.Patients who have been on medication for some time or had prolonged stays in the intensive-care unit are particularly susceptible, the ICMR said. The rare but deadly infection can kill and maim patients, with some Covid sufferers losing their upper jaws and eyes after contracting it, according to local media reports.Denmark, Poland Update Vaccine Policies (6:22 p.m. HK)Denmark, which dropped AstraZeneca from its national vaccination program last month, is close to setting up a voluntary system through which people can apply to get the company’s shot, Health Minister Magnus Heunicke says.Separately, Poland will shorten the gap between doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines, the country’s leading vaccination official said.UAE Suspends Flights From Four Asian Nations (5:19 p.m. HK)The United Arab Emirates barred the entry of travelers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Cargo flights will continue to operate. The Gulf nation, home to Dubai-based Emirates and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways, last week extended the suspension of flights from India.Norway Won’t Use Astra, J&J Vaccines (4:32 p.m. HK)A Norwegian expert committee recommended that AstraZeneca’s and Johnson & Johnson’s vaccines shouldn’t be included in the country’s inoculation program, but were open to making them available on a voluntary basis.The government last month ordered the committee to examine the consequences of not including the vaccines after the Norwegian Institute of Public Health said Astra’s shot shouldn’t be used due to its connection to “rare and serious incidents of low platelets, blood clots and bleeding.”The NIPH on Monday advised against adding the J&J vaccine to the program as the situation stands now. That will delay the first dose by up to two weeks in the 18 to 44 age group, it said.Germany to Hit Milestone, Backs J&J Shot (4:30 p.m. HK)Germany expects to confirm on Monday that one-third of its population have had at least one vaccine shot, Health Minister Jens Spahn told reporters in Berlin.Despite concerns about side effects, Europe’s largest economy will offer J&J’s shot to all adults, and for younger people with medical advice. Spahn said the vaccine — the only one approved in the European Union that offers full protection with a single dose — is an especially useful tool for the homeless and in refugee facilities.Germany had administered 17,933 doses of the J&J shot as of Friday, according to the Robert Koch Institute public health agency, and had received 256,800 doses.Czechs Reopen as Infections Ease (4:21 p.m. HK)The Czech Republic opened all shops, museum and galleries as of Monday as the pandemic continued to ease. The country reported 381 new cases in 24 hours through Sunday, the lowest since the end of August. The nation of 10.7 million had 1,819 hospitalized patients as of Monday, according to health ministry data.Vaccine Proof Key, Israel Ambassador Says (3:34 p.m. HK)Israel’s “Green Pass” was key to the highly inoculated country’s economic reopening, according to the country’s ambassador to Singapore. Critics say the pass infringes on civil liberties, an argument Sagi Karni called “nonsense.”“You want to open the economy, you want to open up safely, and as a state you offer vaccination to all,” Karni said in an interview with Bloomberg News. “So why not have a certificate? Otherwise how do you know? It’s complicated, but it gives the whole system a way to move forward.”Testing, Vaccine Rollout Slow in India (3:25 pm. HK)India is testing and vaccinating its citizens at a lower rate compared with recent months, Bhramar Mukherjee, a professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan, wrote on Twitter.Cases have risen 3.6 times in the last month and deaths 6.3 times, while testing has increased only 1.5 times and daily vaccine doses fallen 38%, Mukherjee said.The data show that “we are losing momentum in fighting the virus,” said Rijo M. John, a Kerala-based economist and public health policy analyst who consults for the World Health Organization.Romania Stages Vaccination Marathon (3:01 p.m. HK)Romania organized a vaccination marathon during the weekend in Bucharest. More than 20,000 people were inoculated in two days, double the initial target set by the authorities. The country plans to have 5 million people vaccinated by the end of the month.Taiwan Tightens Rules for China Airlines Crew (2:51 p.m. HK)Taiwan’s government will recall all flight-deck crew for quarantine, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said at a briefing in Taipei. Authorities lengthened quarantine for rear cabin crew who have been on long-haul flights or have come into contact with crew members deemed a Covid-19 risk. Air crew are allowed to exit quarantine after 14 days and if they test negative.U.K. Cyber Spies Detect Lockdown Scams (2:48 p.m. HK)Criminals launched more websites to trick people into giving up data, downloading malware and sending them money during 2020, taking advantage of pandemic lockdown by pretending to be celebrities, shops and government agencies.The U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre took down 700,595 malicious campaigns last year, 15-times more than a year earlier as the number of scams increased and it began targeting new types of fraud, the agency said in a report published on Monday.Japan, Chugai Agree on Supply of Regeneron (2:38 p.m. HK)Chugai says Japan has agreed to secure the cocktail of casirivimab and imdevimab, being evaluated as a potential treatment for Covid-19, for domestic use in 2021 if it’s approved by the Japanese regulatory authority. A Phase I clinical trial in Japan began in March of this year.Thailand Death Toll Tops 400 (2:07 p.m. HK)Deaths in Thailand from Covid-19 surpassed 400 on Monday. A 25-week pregnant Thai woman became the first person in the country to be diagnosed with the Indian variant of the virus.There were 1,630 new infections and 22 deaths, which took the total infections and fatalities to 85,005 and 421 respectively, the government said. More than half of the total infections and deaths are from a new outbreak which began in April.BioNTech to Build Vaccine Facility in Singapore (1:41 p.m. HK)The German vaccine developer selected the city-state as its Southeast Asia headquarters and first Asia-Pacific hub. BioNTech’s manufacturing site will support global supply of mRNA-based vaccines, the company said in a statement. The plan is a boon for Singapore’s long-term strategy to build out next-generation sectors of its economy, including biopharmaceuticals.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.